The accident history and behaviours of new drivers who pass their first practical driving test

This report describes further analyses of the data collected in the Cohort II study (Wells et al., 2008).

In this investigation, the focus was on the accidents, attitudes and self-reported behaviours of drivers who passed their practical test on the first occasion that they took it. It also examines their performance on the theory test and the practical driving test, and compares drivers who passed their practical test on the first occasion with drivers who took more than one practical driving test.

While some of the findings may at first sight seem to be at variance with previous studies, it is suggested that first-time passers are a sub-group with special characteristics.